tall oil

noun

ˈtäl- How to pronounce tall oil (audio)
ˈtȯl-
: a resinous by-product from the manufacture of chemical wood pulp used especially in making soaps, coatings, and oils

Examples of tall oil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Rubens created the six-foot-tall oil painting, titled The Resurrected Christ Appears to His Mother, between 1612 and 1616. Molly Enking, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Jan. 2023 Risdon likes the look of the cement CB2 Mayon tall oil lamp ($49.95-$79.95) to illuminate an outdoor space. Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tall oil.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

partial translation of German Tallöl, partial translation of Swedish tallolja, from tall pine + olja oil

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tall oil was in 1909

Dictionary Entries Near tall oil

Cite this Entry

“Tall oil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tall%20oil. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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